Sport Why Mavericks' Luka Doncic is so good, so quickly

Luka Doncic puts up 42, records yet another triple-double to lead Mavericks past SpursDoncic finished with yet another triple-double on Monday night, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 117-110 win against the San Antonio Spurs with a career-high 42 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

Luka Doncic is 20 years old. Watch him play basketball, however, and he looks more like a player who has spent 20 years in the NBA. Before he can even legally drink in the U.S., Doncic has wedged himself near the top of league leaderboards in points (30.6) and assists (9.6) per game, ranking third and second, respectively. For his latest feat, Doncic took down LeBron James -- the only player ahead of Doncic when it comes to dropping dimes -- and his Lakers on Sunday in Los Angeles, 114-100.

Doncic has 33 first-half points, Mavs hammer Warriors 142-94

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 33 of his 35 points in the first half and had yet another triple-double to help the Dallas Mavericks rout the short-handed Golden State Warriors 142-94 on Wednesday night. Doncic fell a point short of matching Dirk Nowitzki’s team record set Nov. 3, 2009, against Utah. In just 17 minutes, Doncic was 10 for 11 from the floor, making 6 of 7 3-pointers, and hit 7 of 8 free throws. The second-year star from Slovenia had 22 points, five assists and five rebounds in the first quarter alone. He played only 25 minutes total, but still managed 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence that Doncic -- who scored 27 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed nine boards against L.A. -- continued his incredible early season run against James. That’s because LeBron was the last player to have the monster impact Doncic is having just a year out of his teens. If you’re trying to figure how this young Slovenian star is pulling this off, here’s a key number: 3,441. That's the minutes Doncic played professionally before he even stepped on an NBA floor.

When he was just 16, Doncic began his career with Real Madrid, a team in Spain that competes in two of the best competitions outside the NBA -- the ACB, Spain’s top domestic league, and Euroleague, the intercontinental competition that pits Europe’s best clubs against each other. For three years, Doncic honed his game against former NBA players and top international stars, a vast improvement in the competition faced by players who spend just a lone season in the NCAA.

Doncic, Hardaway Jr. lead Mavs to 137-123 rout of Rockets

The Dallas Mavericks never trailed in a 137-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Mavericks scored 45 points in the first quarter and were up 78-60 at halftime. Hardaway had 19 in the half, Doncic 17 and Kristaps Porzingis 15.BOX SCORE: MAVERICKS 137, ROCKETS 123The Mavericks has won five straight, scoring at least 137 in the last three. Houston has lost three straight after winning eight in a row.The Mavericks got a dunk from Dwight Powell to push the lead to 11 early in the fourth quarter. Houston used a 6-0 run after that shot to get to 110-105 with 9 minutes to go.

That experience is exemplified by Doncic's passing. He plays chess, with some flair, whereas most NBA players play checkers. Doncic whips passes to the weakside corner, lob balls into space where only his teammates can catch, or uses his eyes to bait defenders away from the true target about to receive his pass.

While we often think of assists as a lone category, what Doncic is really doing is creating points without shooting the ball himself -- 24.6 points per game, according to NBA.com’s tracking data. During his last season in Spain, Doncic averaged a whopping 1.275 points per possession on passes out of pick-and-rolls, per Synergy Sports. That mark was the best in Spain and fifth best in any league outside of the NBA. So it shouldn’t really be a surprise that Doncic has carved up the NBA with his ball movement.

What is a little surprising is how Doncic has scored. Scroll through Twitter during his rookie year and you’ll find plenty of highlights featuring Doncic using some crafty dribble and footwork combination before launching a step-back jumper. This ability to create space before launching a shot helps Doncic balance his elite passing. And this season, the Mavericks' forward is attempting more “open” shots per game than any other player besides the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard. ("Open" is the term NBA.com uses to define shots where a defender is four to six feet away.)

Clippers ease past Mavs 114-99 in matchup of 5-win streaks

DALLAS (AP) — Paul George scored 17 of his 26 points in the first quarter, Kawhi Leonard finished with 28 and the Los Angeles Clippers took control early in a meeting of teams with matching five-game winning streaks, beating the Dallas Mavericks 114-99 on Tuesday night. The Clippers used several defenders to end Luka Doncic’s franchise-record streak of four games with at least 30 points and 10 assists. George had a career-high six steals as Los Angeles held the Mavericks under 100 points for the first time this season.BOX SCORE: CLIPPERS 114, MAVERICKS 99The Clippers limited the 20-year-old phenom to 4-of-13 shooting, including 0 for 7 from 3-point range.

Open shots don’t necessarily mean that there isn’t a high degree of difficulty either. Because Doncic incorporates so many step-backs -- NBA.com has him at 102 since he entered the league -- it sort of masks where he’s at as a shooter. Doncic was considered a good but not great outside shooter before he entered the NBA. The one flaw in his game is that he shoots 33 percent from beyond the arc, so it's scary to think where Doncic will be should he improve in that area.

If you are looking for an area where Doncic has already improved, it’s his commitment to attacking the basket. He averages 18.3 drives per game this season, according to NBA.com data, up from 14.7 during his rookie season. This mindset of going downhill more has helped Doncic up his free throw rate from .409 last season to .484 this season. In raw numbers, that means Doncic is averaging just a shade under three more free throws per game.

Getting to the free throw line is really where a lot of the NBA’s offensive stars have separated themselves from other players. In his first season in the NBA, Doncic was in the middle of the pack at getting to the line. This season, the only players ahead of the Mavericks' star are Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo and Houston's James Harden -- pretty good company as far as offensive powerhouses go.

Luka Doncic meets young Slovenian boy after raising more than &dollar;2 million for his medical treatments

This evolution to Doncic’s game is one that would have been hard to see coming. For all the benefits of honing his craft in Europe, the spacing is quite different there. The international line is shorter and there are no rules, like the NBA’s defensive three seconds, to keep hulking big men from planting themselves in front of the basket. Doncic has clearly figured that in the NBA’s new spacing craze, he’s going to encounter far less resistance heading to the rim than he ever could have imagined while playing overseas.

This combination of passing, shooting and driving have added up to Doncic propelling Dallas to the top of the NBA’s offensive hierarchy. The Mavericks are first in the league at 116.1 points per 100 possessions. The return to health of Kristaps Porzingis, as well as some other new additions, has boosted Dallas' attack, but make no mistake, the key to it all is Doncic.

In the 648 minutes Doncic played entering Sunday night's game, the Mavericks posted an amazing 117.1 points per 100 possessions. When the Slovenian star sits, that number “plummeted” to a still-solid 110.1 points per 100.

Although Doncic and Dallas are not excelling on defense, the team clearly is improving. With Sunday night's win over the first-place Lakers (17-3), the Mavericks are tied for fourth in the Western Conference. For those looking for a better indicator of the team’s performance, Dallas also boasts the conference’s second-best point differential, trailing only the Lakers.

Luka Doncic Just Tied Michael Jordan With Remarkable Streak

It's getting harder and harder to deny the greatness of Luka Doncic at this point. After putting up some insane numbers the first few games into the season, many people attributed Doncic's play to a hot start against lesser competition. But we're now over a quarter of the way into the season, and he's still playing like a superstar. After putting up some insane numbers the first few games into the season, many people attributed Doncic's play to a hot start against lesser competition.

It’s a good bet that James is going to be looking over his shoulder the rest of the season to see how Doncic and Dallas perform. And when he does glance back, the player who took the NBA by storm en route to one of the best careers in league history might be looking at a player a lot like his old self.

Related slideshow: The 25 best NBA teams of the 2010s (Provided by Yardbarker)

The 25 best NBA teams of the 2010s

As the decade comes to a close, it's time to look back at the best teams of the 2010s. Every championship team obviously made the list, but not all seasons were created equal. For instance, 2015-16 was so impressive that it featured four of the best teams this decade. 2009-10, on the other hand, yielded only one team of the decade contender. The end result of the season was obviously the most important factor, but a dominant regular season definitely carried some weight too. And my condolences to Mike Budenholzer, who coached two 60-win teams that won a combined two games in the conference finals — sorry, but neither team made the cut. Maybe you should try playing Giannis more than 34 minutes per game next time your team is in the playoffs! MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images

25. 2014-15 Los Angeles Clippers

The skinny: 56-26; lost in second roundDespite an absolute collapse in the second round against the Houston Rockets, the Lob City Clippers deserve a little love when we look back on this decade. For the season, the Clippers had the best offense in the NBA. They also had six players average double figures: Blake Griffin, CP3, JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, DeAndre Jordan and Matt Barnes. After an epic, seven-game, first-round series victory over the defending champion Spurs, the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Rockets in the second round in which they infamously blew a 19-point third quarter lead after Houston had essentially conceded by replacing James Harden with the likes of Josh Smith and Corey Brewer. Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News/Zuma Press/Icon Sportrswire

24. 2012-13 OKC Thunder

The skinny: 60-22; lost in second roundFollowing their shocking trip to the Finals in 2012, the Thunder came back the next season (albeit without James Harden) focused on getting back to the Finals. And for the majority of the regular season, it looked as though we'd have a Thunder-Heat rematch in the championship, as OKC won 60 games (second in the league behind the Heat's 66). Unfortunately in the first round, Rockets guard Patrick Beverley took out Russell Westbrook's knee as he was dribbling toward the sideline to call a timeout and knocked him out of the playoffs. With no Westbrook, Durant was unable to carry the Thunder past the Grizzlies in the second round...and so began a string of poorly timed injuries that eventually left OKC with no titles to show for despite once having three future MVPs on its roster. Icon Sportswire

23. 2010-11 Chicago Bulls

The skinny: 62-20; lost in Eastern Conference finalsThis worthy Eastern Conference foil to the Miami "Heatles" was probably the toughest team of the decade. It was headlined by Derrick Rose and the unprecedented leap he made that earned him the NBA's MVP Award — the youngest player to win the honor in NBA history. Coach Tom Thibodeau and his help side defensive system took the NBA by storm with staunch, two-way players like Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer. While they caught a Heat team when they were rolling in the playoffs, the squad won 62 regular-season games and had the best defense in the league. Mark Halmas/Icon Sportswire

22. 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers

The skinny: 53-29; lost in FinalsLeBron James' return to Cleveland was quite an up and down season for the Cavs. Despite trading for Kevin Love and already having Kyrie Irving, the Cavs struggled immensely out of the gate as James looked rusty and out of shape. Then James took a two week mid-season vacation and returned to a new looking team (Dion Waiters and others were dealt for JR Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov). Reinvigorated, the Cavs looked like a buzz saw entering the playoffs before Kevin Love had his shoulder dislocated in the first round and Kyrie Irving broke his kneecap in Game 1 of the Finals. By that point, it was literally all LeBron on offense and some overmatched players like Matthew Dellavedova on defense. No surprise they eventually fell to the Warriors. Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire

21. 2016-17 San Antonio Spurs

The skinny: 61-21; Lost in Western Conference FinalsAnother year, another 60-plus win Spurs team. If you recall, this was the year that Kawhi Leonard really broke out and put the league on notice that he was more than just a great cog in the Spurs system — he was a bona fide MVP candidate. For the season, Kawhi averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists and upped that to 27.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the playoffs. Unfortunately just when we thought the top team on this list might face a worthy adversary, Zaza Pachulia cheap-shotted Leonard by stepping under his landing space and injuring his ankle in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The NBA should have canceled Zaza at that point — that guy sucked. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

20. 2011-12 OKC Thunder

The skinny: 47-19; lost in FinalsThis was the "What If" team of the 2010s — a team that people will look back on and wonder how on earth this roster made only one Finals run, as it featured three future MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The Baby Thunder made the Finals much sooner than anyone ever expected as Durant, Westbrook and Harden were all under 23 years old. The team also had a 22-year-old Serge Ibaka protecting the rim. After blitzing veteran teams like the Spurs in the Western Conference Playoffs, the Thunder actually won Game 1 of the NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Heat and narrowly lost Game 2 before falling apart. Mark Halmas/Icon Sportswire

19. 2010-11 Miami Heat

The skinny: 58-24; lost in FinalsThe first year of the Miami "Heatles" seemed destined to cruise to the title after destroying Derrick Rose's Chicago Bulls and the rest of their Eastern Conference Playoff opponents, four games to one in each series. However, despite going up 2-1 in the Finals, the Heat were unable to win another game against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks, as LeBron James suffered a meltdown midway through the series. While the end to the season will always be this team's legacy, people shouldn't forget how incredible the two-man fast breaks with Dwyane Wade and LeBron were when these two were at their athletic apexes. Albert Pena/Icon Sportswire

18. 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs

The skinny: 67-15; lost in second roundLooking back, the NBA was absolutely stacked in 2015-16, as this Spurs team is the fourth team from that historic season to appear on this list. San Antonio makes it here despite losing in the second round because it quietly (yes, quietly) won 67 regular-season games! The Spurs also had the best defense and the fourth-best offense in the league. If it weren't for the Warriors winning 73 games, we'd probably remember this dominant Spurs regular season a lot differently. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

17. 2013-14 Miami Heat

The skinny: 54-28; lost in FinalsThe final year of the LeBron James era in Miami had all the signs of a crumbling dynasty — Dwyane Wade's knees began to fail him and forced him to constantly miss games (only playing 54 of 82 games), the team became overreliant on James, and the savvy veterans like Shane Battier, Ray Allen and Chris Andersen suddenly started to look washed. Yet this team was still great in its own right and may have three-peated had the Spurs not turned off the air conditioning in Game 1 of the Finals and then proceeded to play the most beautiful basketball anyone had ever seen in Games 3, 4 and 5. San Antonio Express-News/Zumapress/Icon Sportswire

16. 2018-19 Golden State Warriors

The skinny: 57-25; lost in FinalsThe "disease of more," complacency and Father Time have ended most dynasties throughout NBA history. The Warriors dynasty, however, ended due to an overreliance on stars. Having five stars (Durant, Curry, Thompson, Green and Cousins) allowed this Warriors team to set the all-time NBA record with a 115.9 offensive rating in the regular season but also meant that the Warriors didn't have the type of depth necessary to make up for a catastrophic injury, which is exactly what happened when Kevin Durant, who was playing the finest basketball of his career, in the second round vs. the Rockets "strained" his calf. To their credit, the Warriors showed the championship resolve needed to beat the Rockets and then sweep the Blazers and take the Raptors to six. The final dagger was Klay Thompson's torn ACL in Game 6. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

15. 2017-18 Houston Rockets

The skinny: 65-17; lost in Western Conference finals Year 1 of the James Harden and Chris Paul experiment in Houston was a magical one that lived by the three and died by the three. The Rockets set a then-NBA record (which they broke the next season) by attempting 3,470 three-pointers on their way to the then-11th best offensive rating in NBA history (114.7). They also sported the sixth-best defense in the NBA that season, which helped them to an NBA-best 65-17 record. Sadly, in the final minutes of a stunning Game 5 victory to give them a 3-2 series lead against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, Chris Paul pulled his hamstring and missed the rest of the series. The Rockets took the lead into the half in both games but simply couldn't hit enough threes to pull the series out, missing 27 consecutive threes at one point in Game 7. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

14. 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs

The skinny: 58-24; lost in FinalsAlong with the 2015-16 Warriors, this Spurs team came excruciatingly close to winning the title, only to have it slip away at the hands of LeBron James (and, in the Spurs' case, Ray Allen). After taking a 3-2 series lead against the Heat in the Finals, a 36-year-old Tim Duncan threw an absolute haymaker in the first half of Game 6, scoring 25 points and dominating the Heat. And despite having a five-point lead in the final minute of the game, the Spurs missed a couple of free throws and failed to grab two rebounds that led to back-to-back three-pointers by the Heat. This certainly wasn't the most dominant of the Spurs teams on this list, but it was definitely a team that deserved to win the championship. Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire

13. 2015-16 OKC Thunder

The skinny: 55-27; lost in Western Conference finalsArguably the most athletically intimidating team of the decade, the 2016 Thunder were minutes away from beating the 73-9 Warriors in the Western Conference Finals before Klay Thompson went supernova in Game 6. The final season of the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook era was equal parts impressive and sad looking back at it in retrospect. Durant, along with Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka, were all in their athletic primes and would absolutely bully teams on the boards and around the basket. On the perimeter, Westbrook was literally unstoppable in the open court and when he wanted to get to the rim. The NBA would have been much, much different had things broken right for this team. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

12. 2009-10 LA Lakers

The skinny: 57-25; won championshipKobe Bryant's fifth and final ring came against a surprisingly resistant Celtics team to begin the decade. While the entire season had been set up for a Kobe vs. LeBron James championship, the Celtics shocked the Cavaliers in the second round and met the Lakers in a rematch of the 2008 Finals. The Lakers, led by Kobe and Pau Gasol, exacted their revenge, winning a pretty poorly played Finals in seven games for their second consecutive championship. The most timely contribution came from Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest), who hit a huge three-pointer down the stretch of Game 7. Icon Sports Media

11. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

The skinny: 67-15; won championshipThe Warriors' first of five trips to the Finals culminated in a championship — an impressive feat in the grand scheme of NBA history. On one hand, this team was easily the best in the NBA during the regular season. On the other hand, its championship run was aided by a number of injuries and the collapse of the best iteration of the Lob City Clippers. Thus, while this team should absolutely be applauded for unleashing the Lineup of Death in the Finals, the title carries a little less weight than most other titles this decade. Don't feel too aggrieved Warriors fans: You've already got the top three teams of the decade. Daniel Gluskoter/Icon Sportswire

10. 2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers

The skinny: 51-31; lost in FinalsThe 2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best "But For" teams in NBA history. In other words, but for the Warriors, who were easily the best team of the decade, this Cavs team would have been remembered as one of the best teams in recent memory. This team had an all-time great offense with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving at the peak of their offensive powers. Before falling to the Warriors in a closer-than-it-seemed, competitive Finals, the Cavs nearly swept the Eastern Conference, going 12-1 and absolutely eviscerating teams like the Celtics in the conference finals — recall when they beat the Celtics 130-86 in Boston? It was an incredible team — LeBron and Kyrie's last together — that happened to run into a juggernaut in the Finals. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

9. 2018-19 Toronto Raptors

The skinny: 58-24; won championship I expect NBA historians to look back on this Raptors team in the same manner they do the 2011 Mavericks. However, this Raptors team was even more random of a winner because of its one-year shelf life — a shelf life that was known to every member of the team and organization after they traded for Kawhi Leonard, a superstar on the final year of his contract and the stated desire to play in Los Angeles. The Raptors took the risk, and Leonard's dominance, combined with Pascal Siakam's emergence and Kyle Lowry's timely performances in the Finals, allowed them to end the Warriors destiny that defined the latter half of the decade. Some might consider the championship to have an asterisk because of the Warriors' devastating injuries, but this Raptors team earned this championship all the same. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

8. 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks

The skinny: 57-25; won championshipThe feel-good champion of the decade was clearly Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks. As a three seed, the Mavericks went out and beat the feisty Blazers in the first round, swept the defending champion Lakers in the second round and beat down the up-and-coming Thunder in the conference finals. Finally, they took down the high and mighty Heat in a stunning 4-2 series that will forever define Dirk Nowitzki's legacy. The Mavs had the perfect mix of veteran role players like Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, all of whom were good enough to contribute at a high level but experienced enough to sacrifice for the greater good. And above all else, they had Nowitzki, who was spectacular in the Finals, averaging 26 points and 10 rebounds per game. Albert Pena/Icon Sportswire

7. 2011-12 Miami Heat

The skinny: 46-20 (lockout year); won championshipLeBron James' first title season with the Heat had a little bit of everything. He reclaimed the MVP Award that Derrick Rose had taken from him the season before. He and Dwyane Wade had to dig deep with Chris Bosh injured during the second round against the up-and-coming Pacers who had taken a 2-1 series lead. Then, down 3-2 against his archnemesis Celtics, LeBron played arguably the most fantastic game of his career, posting a 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist stat line and ripping the hearts out of Boston fans. Finally, he helped rally the Heat back from an 0-1 deficit against a Thunder team that should have been Miami's foil for years to come. Albert Pena/Icon Sportswire

6. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

The skinny: 62-20; won championshipIf the Cavaliers' 2016 championship was the feel-good story of the decade, the Spurs' 2014 redemption title was a close second. Instead of falling apart after their gut-wrenching championship loss to the Heat in 2013, the Spurs came back the next season even more motivated to avenge their Finals loss. With the media focused on the aging Big Three (Duncan, Parker and Ginobili), most pundits figured the Finals rematch against the Heat would yield the same result. What they didn't realize was that the Spurs were about to unleash Kawhi Leonard on Miami. This was the first time we'd really seen this version of Leonard, who won Finals MVP after his impressive two-way performance against LeBron James but certainly not the last. San Antonio Express-News/Zumapress/Icon Sportswire

5. 2012-13 Miami Heat

The skinny: 66-16; won championshipThe Heat's most impressive season during the LeBron James era was a miracle Ray Allen shot away from ending in a Finals loss. After dominating the regular season and memorably going on a 27-game winning streak (the second-best in NBA history), the Heat struggled with the Pacers in the conference finals before winning in seven and then won another back-and-forth seven-game series against the Spurs in the Finals. This was probably LeBron's athletic apex, as he won his second straight MVP and nearly was arguably the best defensive player in the league. Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire

4. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

The skinny: 57-25; won championshipWho could ever forget this team? Trailing 3-1 to the greatest regular-season team in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving went supernova and then some in Games 5 though 7 and ended the 52-year championship drought for the city of Cleveland. This Cavs team thrived in chaos, winning the title despite a somewhat tumultuous regular season that saw them fire David Blatt despite having the top record in the East (30-11) and Blatt having coached Cleveland to the Finals the season before. When the chips were on the line in Game 7, their three best players made the plays of their career: LeBron with The Block, Kyrie with The Shot and Kevin Love with The Stop. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

3. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

The skinny: 58-24; won championshipYear 2 of the Kevin Durant era in Golden State was an absolute sleep walk of a championship run that peaked in the conference finals when the Warriors had to beat the Rockets in a Game 7 on the road. After suffocating Houston's offense in Game 7, they proceeded to sweep the final iteration of LeBron's Cavaliers. At its peak, this team was just as good as the previous year's team, which tops this list. Yet the 2017-18 team didn't have the same drive as the 2016-17 team as seen by its winning only 58 games and not even cracking the top 10 in regular-season defensive rating. In the playoffs, the Durant and Curry were spectacular, combining to score 55 points per game. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

The skinny: 73-9; lost in FinalsLike the 2007 New England Patriots, the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors should be considered among the greatest teams of all time, but as Michael Jordan will tell you, that record-setting regular season "don't mean a thing, if without a ring." In addition to setting a thought-to-be-unbreakable record by going 73-9 in the regular season, this Warriors team won its first 24 games — a record in its own right and the third-longest winning streak in NBA history. Led by Steph Curry, who won the first-ever unanimous MVP Award and set the record for three-pointers in a season (402), Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, this team was essentially broke basketball. It overcame a 3-1 deficit to the Thunder in the conference finals but sadly blew a 3-1 lead of its own in the Finals or else it would be at the top of this and pretty much any list as the greatest team ever. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

1. 2016-17 Golden State Warriors

The skinny: 67-15; won championshipThe 2016-17 Golden State Warriors were hands down the most talented and best team of the decade and, in my opinion, the best basketball team ever assembled. This team had everything a championship contender could ever ask for: two of the best three players in the NBA (Kevin Durant and Steph Curry); two more All-NBA-level players (Klay Thompson and Draymond Green), both of whom fit perfectly alongside Durant and Curry; top-notch veterans off the bench (Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston); the hunger to reclaim the title after the 73-9 team from the season before had blown a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The team went 67-15 in the regular season and 16-1 in the playoffs and set the then-NBA record for best offensive rating and had a +11.6 point differential during the season. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

After leaving game vs. Heat, X-rays on Luka Doncic’s sprained ankle negative .
The wunderkind Mavs guard rolled his ankle in the first quarter of the game against the Heat.BOX SCORE: HEAT 122, MAVERICKS 118 (OT)

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